Ruan Ziya was secretly alarmed when she saw him take out a packet of silver needles from his bosom and immerse them in the bowl of medicine. She wondered what his intention was.
Yi Feng smiled and said softly, "As the 'Stream Poison' catalyst, the poison has not manifested in your body for many years, but with the ten-year period approaching, once it takes effect, it will be more severe than others. Fortunately, the Moon-Surging Golden Lotus reappeared not long ago, and I will find a way to cure you of this poison. Now, I will use the 'Puppet Soul' to make you forget the past. Once the poison is cured, we can stay together forever and never be separated."
Ruan Ziya's heart stirred, but she saw Yi Feng pick up the silver needle and slowly walk towards the bedside, his expression changing slightly.
Li Feiqing knew that 'Puppet Soul' was an ancient and wondrous remedy for capturing souls. She remembered Ye Hongyun saying that if the dosage was slightly stronger, it could cause a person to lose their will forever and become completely at the mercy of others. Hearing Yi Feng mention it now, she was immediately shocked and quickly stood up.
Hearing a soft sound outside the wall, Yi Feng paused and shouted, "Who goes there!"
Li Feiqing, her hand on the hilt of her sword, was about to gracefully circle around to the door when she suddenly heard Mu Linlang say in a low voice, "It's me."
Yi Feng was stunned. He saw Mu Linlang slowly stand up from under the window, walk into the stone house with a pale face, and silently watch the two people in the house.
Yi Feng's expression shifted, and after a long while, he said, "Junior Sister, why are you wandering around instead of resting in Qingxin Garden?"
Mu Linlang lowered her eyelashes and said softly, "I noticed you've become increasingly cold towards me lately, and I thought you and Junior Sister were still entangled, so I wanted to secretly follow you to find out what was going on, but who knew..."
She looked up at Ruan Ziya, forced a smile, and whispered, "Sister, I didn't know you were still alive. Now that we sisters can meet again, I am so happy."
Ruan Ziya stared at her blankly. Mu Linlang stepped forward, took her hand, and turned to Yi Feng, saying, "Senior Brother, my sister has many misunderstandings about you. I will try my best to persuade her. Please don't hurt her. If you turn her into a cripple, you will definitely regret it for the rest of your life."
Yi Feng's expression shifted, and Ruan Ziya said, "Linlang, it was he who poisoned Father to death."
Mu Linlang shook her head and said, "No, Father caught a cold after vomiting blood, and medicine has already failed him. Senior Brother did not harm him. Sister, I know you hate Senior Brother for harming your lover, but that is evil and heretical, and everyone has the right to kill him. Senior Brother's heart is truly devoted to you, and it has not changed over the years. How can you betray him?"
Peak of Kageyama
Ruan Ziya stared at Mu Linlang for a long time, then snorted coldly and turned her head away.
Mu Linlang sighed, lowered her head, and walked back to Yi Feng's side, whispering, "Senior Brother, since our marriage, although you have been very obedient to me, I know that your heart has always been with my sister. Now... now that my sister is still alive, once your misunderstanding is cleared up, I... I will naturally..."
Seeing her voice choked with sobs, unable to continue, her beautiful eyes staring blankly at him, tears streaming down her face, yet filled with tenderness, Yi Feng felt a mix of emotions welling up inside him. Suddenly, he floated forward, pressed a finger on Ruan Ziya's pressure point to induce unconsciousness, then turned back to Mu Linlang and said slowly, "Junior Sister, I'm sorry. If you want to leave me, I won't stop you." With that, he focused his energy in his palm, waiting for Mu Linlang's reply.
Mu Linlang trembled and stared at him blankly, saying, "Now that I have a child with you, where can I go? If you really want me to leave..." Her eyes were filled with sorrow, and she suddenly reached out and drew the Juying Sword from Yi Feng's waist, slashing it towards her neck.
Without thinking twice, Yi Feng grabbed her wrist.
Mu Linlang's sword strike was extremely decisive, seemingly using all her strength. Even though Yi Feng stopped her in time, the Juying Sword still grazed her neck, leaving a shallow mark that slowly bled.
Yi Feng moved with lightning speed, sealing several acupoints on her neck. Seeing that the sword wounds had not damaged her main meridians, he was relieved. He reached out and pulled her into his arms, feeling her body trembling uncontrollably. He whispered, "You're too foolish. You're the only one in this world who is wholeheartedly devoted to me. How could I let you go?"
Li Feiqing breathed a sigh of relief and quickly took the opportunity to turn around, holding her breath. Only when she was far away from the stone house did she dare to use her lightness skill and run back the way she came.
Just as she was about to leave the back mountain, she suddenly felt a dark shadow flash past her. Startled, she stopped and saw the man stop about ten feet in front of her, slowly turning around. The moonlight shone down, making his smile appear very gentle, but Li Feiqing felt a chill in her heart.
Yi Feng looked at her quietly and said gently, "Junior Sister, it's so late, where are you rushing off to? Are you going to find Gu Qingyun?"
Li Feiqing bit her lip and remained silent, gripping the long sword in her hand and slowly drawing it out.
Yi Feng raised an eyebrow and said, "Junior Sister, do you also want to be my enemy? Most of your swordsmanship was taught to you by me. If we fight, I will surely take your life within ten moves!"
Li Feiqing said in a low voice, "Senior Brother, we should do what we know is impossible. Master taught us that."
Upon hearing her mention her master, Yi Feng's expression darkened, and his Shadow Gathering Sword was drawn with a clang. Under the moonlight, crisscrossing blue lights revealed that the two were already locked in a silent battle.
Li Feiqing's moves were swift and agile, her longsword extending and circling carefully, never touching the Juying Sword. However, Yi Feng was familiar with her swordsmanship and his skill was several times higher than hers. In just a few moves, he had her entire body enveloped by the sword's edge.
He saw Li Feiqing's breathing grow heavier, her hair plastered to her face with sweat, and her swordplay faltering as she desperately parried like a trapped animal. He recalled how, since she came to the mountain at the age of seven, he had doted on and pampered this junior sister. Whenever she felt wronged or dissatisfied, she would pout and whine to him, but he had never seen her show such despair before. A thought stirred within him, and his grip loosened slightly.
In the blink of an eye, the two exchanged more than ten moves. Li Feiqing lost her grip, and her long sword finally clashed with the Juying Sword. With a soft sound, half of the blade was cut off. Yi Feng saw that her chest was wide open. He paused for a moment, then without hesitation, he thrust the Juying Sword straight at her heart.
As Li Feiqing saw the sword light flashing towards her, a thought flashed through her mind: So I'm going to die at the hands of my senior brother. Immediately afterward, she felt a sharp pain in her chest; the Gathering Shadow Sword had pierced her heart.
As Yi Feng thrust his sword forward, he saw her staring directly at him. Contrary to his expectations, her eyes did not reveal fear or resentment, but instead showed a look of sorrow and pity. A faint sense of regret crossed his mind, but then he saw Li Feiqing fall to the ground.
Footsteps sounded behind her, and Mu Linlang hurriedly caught up. Seeing Li Feiqing lying on the ground, she quickly leaped forward, bent down, and reached out to check her breath.
Li Feiqing let out a low groan. Yi Feng's expression shifted, and he looked down to see that her clothes had been torn by the sword energy, but no blood had flowed out.
Mu Linlang helped her to her feet, and with two sharp cracks, two objects fell to the ground from her torn clothes, gleaming softly in the moonlight.
Yi Feng could see clearly that this was the jade pendant his master usually carried with him, which had now cracked in the middle and broken into two halves, causing his expression to change slightly.
Mu Linlang turned to look at him and said softly, "So it was this jade pendant that blocked a sword for her. Senior Brother, do you want me to help you...?"
Yi Feng was silent for a moment, then said, "Keep her for now; she might come in handy in the future."
※※※※
The next day.
The decisive battle at Kageyama.
The people of Feihua Manor looked solemn. The disappearance of Li Feiqing was not discovered until the early morning. By this time, experts from various sects had already gathered at Yingshan. After discussing the matter, they speculated that it was mostly the work of the Demonic Sect. They thought that the Demonic Sect was afraid of losing the competition and had resorted to a conspiracy to kidnap Li Feiqing and try to use her to blackmail Feihua Manor.
Unnamed Swordsman cursed and roared, "If the Demonic Sect doesn't hand over Miss Li properly, my Flying Flower Manor will chase them to the ends of the earth and kill every last member of their sect!"
Yi Feng said, "I received a secret report that Murong Wuhen led the Demonic Sect to Ying Mountain this morning. Judging from the time, they should be arriving at the foot of the mountain soon. We should prioritize the overall situation, unite our factions, and do our best to resist the Demonic Sect. After today, we will try to find out about Junior Sister's whereabouts."
Everyone looked at Gu Qingyun and saw that he had a gloomy face and did not say a word, but just nodded slowly.
Just then, a disciple of Shadow Mountain hurriedly entered the hall and whispered, "Reporting to the sect leader, the Demonic Sect leader, Murong Wuhen, has come to pay his respects."
The experts from various factions had been waiting quietly at Shadow Mountain for many days, and upon hearing that Murong Wuhen had arrived, they all roused their spirits, ready to meet the enemy.
A moment later, a loud laugh came from outside the hall. Murong Wuhen, dressed in a white robe, sneered and followed by the elders and hall masters of the Demonic Sect. He entered the hall with the Shadow Mountain disciple.
Upon seeing the crowd, he gave a slight bow and said with a smile, "The three-month deadline has arrived. I have come today to keep the appointment and hope that Alliance Leader Yi will not hesitate to offer his guidance."
Yi Feng clasped his hands and said, "Today, heroes from all sects have arrived, and with the addition of your esteemed sect members, I'm afraid this hall is not enough space for us to fight. Let's settle our differences on the back mountain of Shadow Mountain. What does Sect Leader Murong think?"
Murong Wuhen smiled slightly and said in a faint smile, "It's up to you."
Yi Feng took the lead, guiding everyone towards the back of Shadow Mountain. The back mountain was quite spacious, and although there were many people from various sects and the Demonic Sect standing there, it didn't feel crowded.
Yi Feng slowly walked into the circle, raised his sword and said, "Murong Wuhen, your demonic sect has harmed countless righteous people, and my former sect leader of Yingshan was even poisoned to death by you. Today, in our battle, I, Yi, will show no mercy."
A cold glint flashed in Murong Wuhen's eyes, and he smiled sinisterly, saying, "Alliance Leader Yi seems to have victory in this battle in his grasp. Isn't that a bit too overconfident?"
Yi Feng's expression darkened, and he slowly drew his Shadow Gathering Sword. Murong Wuhen slightly curled his lips, stretched out his hand, and Elder He stepped forward a few steps, presenting him with a long sword.
Murong Wuhen channeled his power into his palm, channeling his strength into the sword. In a moment, the longsword in his hand emitted wisps of cold air. He laughed and said, "Alliance Leader Yi, although your Gathering Shadow Sword can cut through iron like mud, I, Murong Wuhen, am not afraid." With that, he swung the longsword in his hand, instantly stirring up a wave of cold air that rushed towards Yi Feng's face.
Yi Feng frowned slightly, knowing that the spies sent to the Xuan Yi Sect were telling the truth; Murong Wuhen had indeed made great progress in his skills in just a few months. However, he also knew that the higher one's skill level was when poisoned by the Xi Zhen, the greater the damage from the poison would be each time one activated their power. He couldn't help but sneer inwardly.
Ever since that day in Wuling Mountain when he saw Ruan Ziya and Murong Wuhen emerge hand in hand, he had harbored deep hatred for Murong Wuhen. Today, he was even more determined to kill him to extinguish any lingering thoughts in Ruan Ziya's heart. Immediately, he held the Gathering Shadow Sword horizontally across his chest, silently channeling his profound inner energy to protect all the vital points on his body. Then, he thrust out the sword, unleashing the exquisite techniques of the Shadow Mountain Swordplay, and engaged Murong Wuhen in battle.
After several moves, the expressions of the experts from various factions watching the battle turned solemn. Although Yi Feng did not show signs of defeat for the time being due to his exquisite swordsmanship, everyone could see that the cold aura emanating from Murong Wuhen's longsword seemed to be getting stronger and stronger, and was gradually spreading outwards, enveloping Yi Feng in it.
Zhang Datou muttered, "What kind of evil technique is this kid using? It's bizarre, the Demonic Sect is truly bizarre!"
Bi Jianchun, the leader of the Jade Sword Sect, looked worried and said, "It is said that Young Master Mozhu was famous throughout the martial arts world for his Qianhan Skill. Could it be that Murong Wuhen has also mastered this skill?"
Gu Qingyun added casually from the side, "That's right, his skill level is now comparable to that of Young Master Mozhu back then."
Unnamed Swordsman frowned as he watched the fight. He noticed that each of Murong Wuhen's moves contained immense chilling power. He considered himself no less skilled in swordsmanship, but feared he might be outmatched if Murong Wuhen combined such profound internal energy. He couldn't help but glance at Gu Qingyun, thinking: "The Master of the Manor once fought to a draw with Young Master Mozhu. Now, Murong Wuhen's skill is comparable to Young Master Mozhu's back then. I wonder what his chances of winning would be if he were to fight Murong Wuhen?"
Gu Qingyun seemed to know what he was thinking. She smiled slightly, turned her gaze to the two people in the arena, and said calmly, "Today, I may not have the opportunity to fight him."
The unnamed swordsman was taken aback, and following his gaze, he saw that the situation on the field had changed again.
※※※※
Ruan Ziya slowly awoke from her deep sleep, only to feel a ray of sunlight streaming through the window and falling on her face. She was startled: it was already daytime? She immediately opened her eyes and struggled to sit up in bed.
With a muffled clang from the chains around her wrists and ankles, Ruan Ziya looked down at the shackles on her hands and feet. The handcuffs and shackles were all connected by chains. Now that she had lost all her strength, let alone escape, even taking a few steps would be as difficult as climbing to heaven. Moreover, Yi Feng had installed several iron locks on the outside of the stone chamber.
Ruan Ziya bit her lip tightly. Today was the day of the duel. Presumably, everyone in the sect had already gone up Shadow Mountain. Murong Wuhen...
The thought of that name caused her a pang of pain. She slowly moved to the window, racking her brains for a way to escape.
Just then, a soft click was heard from the door lock, and the door was pushed open.
Mu Linlang stood in front of the stone chamber door, staring blankly at her, her face pale and her hand holding the Marked Sword trembling slightly.
A look of surprise flashed across Ruan Ziya's eyes, but she quickly understood. She smiled slightly and said slowly, "You have always been proud and aloof, but you have the strongest possessiveness. I found it strange when you said those words last night. It turns out that you are just as good at lying as I am as your older sister."
Mu Linlang smiled bitterly and said in a low voice, "Sister, if you had died back then, would everything be different now?" As she spoke, she slowly drew the Marked Sword and walked step by step toward Ruan Ziya.
Author's Note: Ahem, a reminder to those with poor brainpower: the origin of that jade pendant can be found at the beginning of "The Branch of the Orchid" [Is it because you wrote too slowly or the era is too long?].
scheming
Murong Wuhen wore a cold smile and kept urging the Qianhan Skill.
Yi Feng felt layers of dark energy surging in, and the surrounding cold air grew stronger and stronger, waiting for an opportunity to break through his protective profound skills and invade his acupoints. He was secretly alarmed.
Murong Wuhen let out a long laugh and launched a series of attacks with his longsword. Although he tried his best to dodge them all, he staggered slightly in the process and the cold air entered his Jianjing acupoint on his right shoulder. His sword moves were immediately interrupted.
When Murong Wuhen saw the opening on his chest, the image of Ruan Ziya's endearing, seemingly angry yet also annoyed expression flashed through her mind. Remembering her repeated admonitions not to harm Yi Feng, she felt a pang of sadness and thought to herself: Although you betrayed me first, I will keep my promise to you.
He immediately stopped thrusting his longsword forward, and instead swung out his left palm, intending to seal the acupoints on Yi Feng's chest. He then pretended to be repelled by Yi Feng's internal force, and proposed a draw, believing that Yi Feng would surely comply.
As soon as he swung his left palm out, Yi Feng, with a half-smile on his face, stepped forward and raised his palm to meet him. Before their palms even touched, Murong Wuhen felt a burning, stinging sensation approaching the bottom of his palm. He saw a small ball of pale powder emerge from Yi Feng's sleeve and instantly disappear into his palm.
A chill permeated the air around the two. Yi Feng launched a sneak attack without the others in the arena noticing. Murong Wuhen was startled and then enraged. Just as he was about to unleash his palm power, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his dantian. The poison that had been dormant in his body for months suddenly flared up at this moment. A surge of blood rushed to his chest, and he almost lost his balance.
Yi Feng's palm strike continued unabated, clashing with Murong Wuhen's. Murong Wuhen let out a low groan, took a few steps back, clutched his chest, and blood slowly trickled from the corner of his mouth.
Suddenly, things took an unexpected turn. Murong Wuhen, who had already gained the upper hand, was suddenly struck by Yi Feng and coughed up blood. The spectators from both the righteous and evil factions were shocked. The elders of the Demonic Sect wanted to jump into the circle to save him, but they were stopped by experts from various sects.
Yi Feng had already moved closer, and said in a low voice with a soft laugh, "Qingqing is now back in my arms, you can die in peace."
Murong Wuhen's eyes darkened, and he could no longer suppress the intense pain in his chest. He slowly sat down on the ground and vomited several mouthfuls of blood.
Yi Feng's face darkened, and he shouted loudly, "Murong Wuhen, today I, Yi, will act on behalf of Heaven to eliminate you, this demonic monster of the cult!" Killing intent surged in his eyes, and he channeled his power into the Juying Sword, thrusting it towards Murong Wuhen's chest.
His sword strike was determined to succeed. As the tip of the sword approached Murong Wuhen's heart, he thought that by eliminating this threat, he could then wipe out the Demonic Sect in one fell swoop, win back the hearts of the righteous, and become the number one martial artist. Even though Yi Feng was usually calm and composed, he couldn't help but smile slightly.
Just as he was feeling smug and secretly pleased, he suddenly felt his hand stop. Someone had pressed down on the sword with a longsword, and the tip of the Juying Sword was just about to stop in front of Murong Wuhen's chest, unable to get any closer.
Yi Feng was startled, his smile vanished, and he looked up at the person who had stopped him, a gloomy look flashing across his eyes.
Gu Qingyun remained calm and said indifferently, "I beg Sect Leader Yi to show mercy."
Yi Feng frowned and said, "Master Gu, this demon is a public enemy of the martial arts world. Why are you stopping me from taking his life?"